Elisabeth of Saxony
Elisabeth of Saxony (born: 18 October 1552 at Wolkenstein Castle in Wolkenstein; died: 2 April 1590 in Heidelberg) was an Saxon princess from the House of Wettin by birth and by marriage Countess Palatine of Simmern.
Life
Elisabeth was a daughter of the Elector August of Saxony (1526-1586) from his marriage to Anna (1532-1585), daughter King of the Christian III of Denmark.
She married on 4 June 1570 in Heidelberg during the Diet of Speyer with Count Palatine John Casimir of Simmern (1543-1592). August opposed the policies of John Casimir, who was a Calvinist and friendly to France. With this marriage, August hoped to woe John Casimir over to the Lutheran side. However, he did not succeed. The Catholics in Germany regarded the marriage as a provocation against the Habsburg dynasty and an attempt to form a united Protestant front.
The Calvinist Johann Casimir tried to break the religious opposition of his Lutheran wife. In October 1585, she was arrested and accused of adultery and a murder plot against her husband. Even her brother, Elector Christian I, was convinced of her guilt. She converted to Calvinism while in captivity, and died shortly afterwards.
Marriage and issue
From her marriage with John Casimir, Elizabeth had the following children:
- Unnamed son (1573-1573)
- Marie (1576-1577)
- Elisabeth (1578-1580)
- Dorothea (1581-1631), married in 1595 Prince John George I of Anhalt-Dessau (1598-1618)
- Unnamed daughter (1584-1584)
- Unnamed daughter (1585-1585)
Ancestors
| Ancestors of Elisabeth of Saxony |
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16. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony (1412-1464) |
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8. Albert III, Duke of Saxony (1443-1500) |
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17. Margaret of Austria, Electress of Saxony (1416-1486) |
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4. Henry IV, Duke of Saxony (1473-1541) |
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18. George of Poděbrady (1420-1471) |
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9. Sidonie of Poděbrady (1449-1510) |
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19. Kunigunde of Sternberg (1425-1449) |
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2. August, Elector of Saxony (1526-1586) |
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20. Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg (1417-1477) |
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10. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg (1441-1503) |
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21. Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1420–1491) |
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5. Catherine of Mecklenburg (1487-1561) |
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22. Eric II, Duke of Pomerania (1425-1474) |
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11. Sophie of Pomerania, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1460-1504) |
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23. Sophie of Pomerania, Duchess of Pomerania (1435-1497) |
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1. Elisabeth of Saxony |
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24. King Christian I of Denmark (1426-1481) |
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12. King Frederick I of Denmark (1471-1533) |
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25. Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430-1495) |
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6. King Christian III of Denmark (1503-1559) |
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26. John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455-1499) |
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13. Anna of Brandenburg (1487-1514) |
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27. Margaret of Thuringia (1449-1501) |
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3. Anne of Denmark, Electress of Saxony (1532-1585) |
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28. John IV, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (1439-1507) |
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14. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (1470-1543) |
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29. Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg (1446-1519) |
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7. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (1511-1571) |
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30. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1463-1514) |
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15. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg (1488-1563) |
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31. Catherine of Pomerania (d. 1526) |
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References
- This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.
| Persondata |
| Name |
Elisabeth of Saxony |
| Alternative names |
Elisabeth von Sachsen (German) |
| Short description |
Countess Palatine of Simmern |
| Date of birth |
18 October 1552 |
| Place of birth |
Wolkenstein Castle, in Wolkenstein |
| Date of death |
2 April 1590 |
| Place of death |
Heidelberg |